Pumpkin Carving

I had great plans to carve pumpkins with my niece this year, but between her schedule and mine that just didn't happen.  So, I did it by myself, which let me tell you wasn't a whole lot of fun.  So, I spent an oh so exciting Friday evening carving my pumpkin.

My least favorite part is cleaning this nastiness out of the pumpkin.

My pumpkins ALWAYS have a happy face - I don't like scary or creepy pumpkins.

I was given a pumpkin carving kit and this was inside - I thought it was too cute!

Sorry the picture is sideways - it is right side up on my computer, but won't upload to blogger any other way but sideways!  In the kit were stencils that you could use to carve out cool designs - my problem is that the pumpkin I bought was way too small for any of the templates!

Oh well!  This way I got to design a one-of-a-kind pumpkin.  It's kinda a cute if I do say so myself!

Happy Halloween!!

Black-eyed Peas in A Pod

We had a costume contest at work today.

The four of us make up our "pod."

That is what we call them at work - pods.  There are 6 desks to a pod.  We always have one empty desk in ours - good place to keep on the munchies on food day!  Right now there are only 4 of us.  (Anyone want to join?)  We decided to dress up as a group.  We were black-eyed peas in a pod - ha!!  I made these shirts and the girls brought makeup to make us look like we had black eyes.  I had black, red, and purple makeup on my left eye and it looked fabulous, but then I put my glasses on and you couldn't hardly see it!  So, I put solid black make up on my right eye....someone I was the only one with 2 black eyes!

We didn't win anything, but we had fun - that is all that matters!

I love these ladies - I have to right?  I spend 8 hours a day with them in a "pod!"

No, really, I do love these ladies and I am thankful to spend 8 hours a day 5 days a

week with such great people!  Thanks for a great day, ladies!!

Happy

I haven't written the last couple of days - I have been busy!

Busy spending time with my favorite kiddos!

They come before things in life like blogging.

I am happy because of the time I have been

able to spend with them!!

&

I got this in the mail today!!

I know this is pretty trendy right now, but I wanted one!  This will go perfect above my couch.  Now, I just need to get a frame for it, but I am cheap!  I will be thrift store shopping for a frame.  I am also impatient so, if I don't find a thrift store frame soon I will have to print off a Hobby Lobby coupon. 

I have been doing lots of redecorating lately.  Sort of freshening things up!  I have lived here for almost 3 years now and have had the same decorations on the walls - it's time for a change!! 

I bought some new stuff for the walls in my bathroom, but I cannot decide on a new shower curtain - I found a sample at the store, but guess what?  They were out of stock!  UGH!  Guess I will just have to keep looking!

Well, I have to go finish the Halloween costumes for work tomorrow - sorry I will share those with you another time!



60 days until Christmas!!

Did I just freak you out?
Sorry about that!

I do not shop until December.
Until this year!
I don't know what happened to me, but I bought my first gift in September!
I have continued to buy stuff since then.
I am over half way done - with the shopping at least!
I still have crafts to finish start!
Okay - I guess I have some to finish as well.

I am looking forward to black Friday shopping with Marissa!!
It is always such a good time!
We will eat Carlos O' Kellys - yum!
And talk and shop and shop and talk!

I also look forward to:
decorating
spending time with family & friends
baking
wrapping
giving
Christmas carols
all those Christmas cards/letters & pics!!

What are you looking forward to?  Have you started your shopping?

Can single people be happy?

First of all let me say a big Y-E-S!!!  You may wonder why I decided to write about this - it's because I have been asked that question a couple of times lately so, I decided to share my thoughts on the subject - well, and because I mentioned whether or not marriage was for me in a previous post and I told you all I would talk about that some day. 

One day at work the topic of marriage came up and how long people had been married and each one was saying "I have been married ____ years and I am happy!"  I joined in and said "I am not married and I am happy!"  One of my coworkers turned around and asked me if I was serious, if I was really happy? 

This kind of threw me off a bit and I asked her if she seriously doubted my happiness because I wasn't married - and yes, she seriously doubted the fact that I could be single and happy!

Then one of my facebook friends updated her status asking if people could actually really love being single.  And again I say YES! 

Now, trust me - I am not at all anti-marriage.  I have have always thought I would be married someday and yes, I often want to be married, BUT as often as I want to be married - I don't want to be married too.  People accuse me of saying this because I am single - not true!  If the right person would come along someday I would consider being married.  One of the reasons I don't want to be married is because I am scared.  Scared of truly opening myself up to another human being and scared of losing myself in the process.  It absolutely drives me crazy when I see someone change themselves because they are married.  I know that you have to change to a certain degree when you do get married, but not to the degree to which I have seen some people change. 

For now, at this point in my life I value my singleness and my independence.  I love the fact that I have to figure out how to do things on my own. I love that I get to make my own decisions on how I spend my time and money.  It has made me who I am, it has made me learn new things, and has made me much stronger in the process.

Being single does have it's cons too, but for me at this stage in my life the pros are outweighing the cons.

So, for those of you who have questioned - I do LOVE being single and I am very HAPPY!!  For those who have felt sorry for me because I am not married, please stop.  For those who tell me that the right one is out there for me, please stop...you don't know that and neither do I...nor do any of us know the plans that the Lord has prepared for us. 

For those of you who are happily married - CONGRATS!!  For those of who are single and loving it - CONGRATS to you as well!!

Have a great week!

Orange Leaf Lunch

I got invited to go eat frozen yogurt for lunch.  I did have a few moments of questioning whether or not it was a good idea....then I said "what the heck? YES!!"  I don't do it everyday so, what is one day?

We went to Orange Leaf   It was oh so good.  I had never been there before.  You get a bowl and then you choose from about 10 different frozen yogurt flavors and then you get to choose your toppings.  Not good if you have a hard time making decisions - they have like 30 different toppings.

I got  Pumpkin yogurt and added white chocolate chips and a brownie.

yummy!!

Not sure if it is a good thing that the spoons resemble miniature shovels!?!

But aren't they cute?  I took mine home!

Check out the fabulous furniture! 

I loved the color scheme - orange, white, and lime green!

I think next time I HAVE to try the peanut butter yogurt!!

What a good way to spend your lunch hour - eating frozen yogurt, sitting in fabulous furniture and talking with a great friend!  Oh and we did have to go eat a taco on our way back to the office - we thought maybe we shouldn't try to ride the sugar high all afternoon!

If you haven't tried Orange Leaf you should!!

Have you tried anything new lately?

Today...

I let a stupid piece of machinery irritate me into almost leaving work and going back to bed.
I let people irritate me.
I listened to a customer call me a 5 letter word that starts with B and rhymes with witch.
I listened to that same customer tell me he knew who I was and where I was and that I would
wish that I had never heard his name while he dropped the F-Bomb several times.
Then I listened to him tell me that I was a mental case and a maniac - hmmmm....I am the maniac??
(Thanks - I knew you didn't think I was a maniac or a B!)
I started crying over it all on the way home from work - yes, my dad always told me not to cry while
I was driving - sometimes it just can't be helped! (stupid hormones!)
I ate a great meal prepared by my Sunday School class.
I went to singing at church with my niece and nephew.
I told my nephew he was naughty because he wouldn't listen and ran around and screamed during singing time - I felt bad - he's only 2 - it is so hard to sit still when you are 2!
I then sent him home with his mom because I couldn't deal.
I had some interesting conversations with members of my Sunday School class.
I came home and cleaned my bathroom because I was still ticked off about my day and Friday night is book club. 
I folded all of my laundry.
I read a chapter for my book club.
I ate some cookies-n-cream ice cream! 
I feel better now!

Hope you had a good day!